The Time Warp Divide II
by Hair-Metal-Angel
Summary: The mission fails and the trio are now prisoners to someone and their "assistant" in a remote fortress with no way out. But the abduction is a cover up for a larger plan; an old enemy of Joe's wants The Book for his own agenda and he's plan is more than just rewriting history. One of the trio has a plan to escape the fortress, but will it work?
1. The Divide

**Chapter 1**

 _Red fog poured into the barren wasteland. Sometimes when the fog brushed up against him, it morphed into a boney hand and grazed its nails over his bare skin. Groans of pain and suffering emitted from the foggy area while in the darkest corners of the, shrill, high-pitched laughter could be heard. Shadows skittered past him, some large and monstrous, others small and cryptic. All of them demonic no matter the size. Their high-pitched screaming and squealing sounded like a nightmarish symphony._

 _Joe groaned in pain, the migraine in his head unbearable, as if a tiny parasite was burrowing their way out after sucking enough of the host's nutrients. Joe attempted to stand up, but he gave up and crawled on his hands and knees like a dog. Once again, the boney hands reached out towards him and Joe quickened the pace. He cried in surprise as an icy hand grabbed his ankle. Joe slapped the hand and it vanished. His breath came in short, rapid gasps. He was scared out of his wits, his body felt raw and bruised and his head wouldn't stop hurting._

" _What is this place?" He asked himself. The sound of his voice echoing was the only reply._

" _It's like a nightmare," he said to himself. "Or is this how hell's supposed to look like?"_

 _There was a scream, a scream of fear. The fog around Joe bloomed and it darkened in color. The fog seemed to radiate and Joe saw things run past him. At first he thought he was going crazy, until he squinted at it. He saw something more, like someone's silhouette. The first one was a girl; it had a petite, willowy body and it moved with a sense of ladylike grace. She ran through the mist without a care in the world, until he heard panting. It wasn't sexual, nor was it tiring; it sounded like she was scared._

" _WHERE ARE THEY?!" A voice boomed._

 _Another fog-person started to take form. This one was taller, with stronger features and toned body muscles. Yet, Joe saw a full head of hair and curves on the body. Another fog-girl?_

 _The first fog-girl kept running and tripped on a stone. She fell and rolled to a stop near Joe. She didn't move, but Joe assumed that she was in pain and couldn't risk over-exerting herself. The second fog-girl started to move towards the dainty fog-girl, cutting and smashing the fog searching for something… or someone. The first fog-girl struggled to get up, but she couldn't._

" _I know you took them," the robust fog-girl roared. "And if you don't give them back now, I swear I'll kill you!"_

 _The other fog-girl winced in pain and she used her hands to crawl next to Joe. He saw a distinctive mole on the left side of her face and a pair of full, pouty lips. He also noticed the hair of the fog-girl, long, thick and wavy._

" _No way…" Joe shrank away from the fog-girl. "You're - you're…"_

 _The robust fog-girl turned in Joe's direction, and Joe saw scars. Scars all over her body and bright red eyes._

 _It was Anacaona._

" _FEMI!" she screamed and charged towards them. She punched the earth and a wall rose from the ground and hit them._

 _Fog-Femi cried and slammed on the floor. Joe watched as Anacaona ran and leapt into the sky; extending her long claws, lightning crackling in her hands. Joe crawled towards Fog-Femi and grabbed her wrist, pulling her away before Anacaona could electrocute her. As the dust cleared, Anacaona stood in a wide crater with smoke coming out of her hands._

" _ **WHO DARES TO INTERFERE IN MY BATTLES?!**_ _" The booming voice cried._

 _Joe grabbed Fog-Femi and they hid behind a stone wall. The sound of Anacaona destroying everything in her way filled the atmosphere._

" _Just like old times, right… Femi?" Joe smiled up at the apparition, but Femi didn't say a word back. Joe was about to say something, but the stone wall disappeared and the fog started to fade away._

" _You forgot one thing, Joseph Arthur…" Anacaona's husky, contralto said behind him. "_ _ **I make the rules here! And if I want to kill this sorry excuse for a hussy, THEN I WILL!"**_

 _A cry of agony echoed through the area and Joe saw with horror, Femi's body in a pool of blood. Before her stood, Anacaona, her body covered in blood and wearing the most ax-crazy smiles Joe has ever seen in his entire life._

" _Femi!" Joe ran to her lifeless body._

 _A demonic growl came from Anacaona's throat and she used the red fog around her to pin Joe to the ground. She sashayed to him and gave him a look of pure contempt._

 _Her fingernails radiated electricity. "I can't have you interfering with my life anymore, so it's time for you to also say hello to Femi."_

 _Joe closed his eyes and screamed._

* * *

"FEMI!" He yelled as he woke up in a cold sweat.

After catching his breath, Joe checked out his surroundings. He was in a damp, dark cell and saw that it was still night. He could make out two other figures next to him, but that was it. He tried to move his arms and found them chained.

"The hell?" Joe wrestled against the restraints. "Chained up, how did this happen?"

"The work of my new apprentice," replied a snide voice from the dark. "Now don't you think she did a great job? She lead a whole resistance army to an abandoned fortress and now, voila!"

"Mad Jack!" Joe glared at his insane uncle. "What do you want?"

"Now, now dear nephew…" Mad Jack used his staff to light up the room. A sickly, green glow came from the staff. "That's no way to talk to family you haven't seen in years."

"Family?" said Joe. "I'm surprised you even think you deserve to be called family, considering you tried to kill me countless times!"

"Yes, I must say that was quite… mad of me!" He chuckled at his bad joke. "In truth Joseph, that's not why I lured you here."

"Why?"

"Think about it…" Mad Jack put his hands behind his back. "When was the last time you warped?"

"Several years ago…"

"Three years." Mad Jack quipped. "But don't think that your absence has gone unnoticed. I have, and let's just say I found ways to keep myself busy."

He rubbed his hands together malevolently, but Joe's bored expression wasn't the reaction he wanted.

"Aren't you going to ask me what was I doing those three long years?" He yelled.

"No," said Joe. "You probably found a new creepy hobby no one's interested in hearing."

"MY HOBBIES AREN'T CREEPY!" Mad Jack screamed. He took a deep breath and composed himself.

"Okay, we're not getting anywhere…" Joe rolled his eyes and sighed. "Oh gosh, what did you do during those three years I was out of action?"

"So kind of you to ask, allow me to explain!" Mad Jack tapped his staff on the ground and a full-length mirror appeared.

"So you're destined to be Warp Wizard, right?"

Joe nodded.

"And how many times has it since I tried to kill you and your friends?"

"Too many to count."

"Now here's the thing. It appears that no matter what I do, you still come out alive and well. I thought that if I killed you, time would change and I will have The Book. But it didn't work out like I planned, and I understand." He took a deep breath. "I was young and naive…"

"Just get to the point!"

"After I was humiliated by you and my traitorous brother, I went back to my lair to get myself together. It seemed like all of my perfect plans were destined to fail. Then, I realized why!"

"Why?"

"Fate!" Mad Jack smirked psychotically. "That's what, fate!"

"I expected more of a 'Good always triumphs over Evil' type of discovery, but you're mind is too warped to understand that." Joe rolled his eyes. "And fate doesn't exist!"

"Watch what you say!" Mad Jack pointed his staff at Joe, green magic glowed at the end. "Fate is something completely out of our control, it's written in the stars! Unless…"

"Unless what? All of these pauses in the conversation isn't suspenseful at all! It's annoying!" Joe yelled.

"I use The Divide…" Mad Jack chuckled. "A spell that destroys the stars and who wields its, gets to re-write fate as they see fit."

"A spell that destroys fate?" Joe's jaw dropped. "How can someone do that?"

"Aztlan is where The Book was created and if the creator of The Book can put the space-time continuum in a book, then she can destroy it as well." Mad Jack smirked. "And that's why you're here. I need The Book, Joseph… where is it?"

"I don't have it."

"What do you mean, 'you don't have it?'" Mad Jack asked him in a threatening tone.

"I don't have it, plain and simple."

"You're lying!" Mad Jack roared. "You do have The Book, my assistant told me!"

"Well your assistant is stupid and you're just as stupid for believing her. What is she, a lying detector machine?" Joe smirked back at his uncle.

"Fine!" Mad Jack stamped his foot. "I'll bring her tomorrow, and if you DO have The Book… I'll make you wish you were never born!"

"Go ahead, I'm not scared of you or your assistant." said Joe.

"Oh, you should be afraid, dear nephew…" Mad Jack grabbed his pocket watch and pressed a button on it. The ticking noise growing louder and louder.

"Be very afraid…" In a flash of yellow light, he vanished.

* * *

 **A/N: And here is the first chapter of The Time Warp Divide II! It took me a while to plan out the story because I had switched some things around, but as you can tell from Mad Jack's plans, it's going to be an epic story! Please leave a review and thank you for reading! 8D **


	2. Bittersweet Memories

**Chapter 2**

 _It was a humid afternoon when it started to rain. In the mist, two people got caught in the storm and trying to find shelter. One was a girl, with light green hair and light brown skin. The other was a boy with black shaggy hair and porcelain skin. He held her hand in his and the two ran and hid under a tree. In the distance, the low rumble of thunder could be heard. The boy gave a sigh of relief and pressed his back against the tree. Running in the rain was a bad idea; both of their outfits were soaked with rain water._

 _The girl with light green hair got on her tippy-toes and dried the boy's face with a cloth._

 _At first he had no problem with it, until his eyes settled on the cloth. It was the shawl he gave her and not his sister's._

" _Stop, that's not Mako's shawl!" He laughed and took it away from her. "It's the one I gave you for your birthday!"_

 _The girl gasped. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!"_

" _It's okay, it happens to everyone." the boy gave it back to the girl. "Besides, it's just a shawl..."_

" _An expensive shawl that belonged to your great-grandmother," She draped the shawl over her shoulders. "It's a shame that I'll never get to see how it looks. The material feels fine; I bet it's beautifully made."_

" _It matches the green in your eyes," said the boy. "And although you're blind, they're the most beautiful eyes I've seen."_

" _You're making me blush." the girl giggled and pushed away from him. He grabbed her by the wrist and twirled her around to face him. His brown eyes looked deep into her green eyes and he nervously licked his lips._

" _I don't care about the shawl," he whispered in her ear. "I just want to get away and spend time with you."_

" _Joji…" she whispered, her cheeks turning pink._

" _Anacaona…"_

 _He tilted up her chin with his hand and gently pressed his lips on her mouth. Anacaona didn't react, but she soon melted into the kiss. He cupped her cheek with his hand. They pulled away practically gasping for air, their foreheads touching each other._

 _Joji, where are you… why did you leave me?_

 _Joji, why?_

 _Why?_

 _ **JOJI!?**_

* * *

"Anacaona? Anacaona!"

Anacona was jolted awake when someone shook her violently. Her hair and clothes were soaked through and her body felt cold.

"Who is this? Leave me alone!" she bellowed and got on her feet. But thanks to the rain, the ground beneath her was muddy and she slipped.

"I found you sleeping under the cherry blossom trees and it's raining like crazy." The voice was that of a young female. It took Anacaona a moment to realize that the voice belonged to Saori, the daughter of the woman who ran the ryokan she stayed in. She was always perky and well-meaning, but Anacaona found her annoying.

"Oh." said Anacaona; her voice was void of any emotion.

"Here, let me help you up and I'll have a hot bath for you." Saori grabbed Anacaona by the shoulders and pulled her up. "You'll get sick if you stay in those wet clothes."

* * *

Anacaona sat on her bed, with the balcony doors open behind her and wearing nothing but a white tank top and black pants. The bath relaxed her muscles and calmed her down, but she didn't feel fine.

Maybe it was a side effect from the red gems Mad Jack gave her. While they DID increase her powers and strengthen her illusions, they took up a lot of energy. If that wasn't the only side effect, her dreams were more vivid than usual. But Anacaona knew they weren't dreams, they were memories. Memories she wanted hidden, buried and kept in the back of her mind. She already promised to not say a word about her childhood for ten years, and intended to keep the years of rage and solidarity and fear silent. She needed to get over the past, and keep working for her future. The flame of vengeance burned brightly deep inside of her being.

The door opened and in came Saori with tea. A letter adorned the tray next to the cups. Saori saw the balcony doors opened and rushed to close them.

"Thank goodness there's no wind, or the water could've gotten inside your room!" Saori turned to face Anacaona and found the green-haired girl with her shoulders slouched and silent. When Anacaona didn't respond, she grabbed the tray of tea and set it between each other.

"I love hot tea on rainy nights!" she said and poured the tea out for each other. "Mother picked it up from her friend's house yesterday. Her friends get the herbs for free!"

Anacaona got up from the bed and sat across from Saori. Saori handed the cup to Anacaona, and waited until her fingers curled around the cup. Saori smiled at Anacaona and blew on her tea before drinking it. Anacaona did the same; she took a few sips, and remained silent.

The conversation was going nowhere; and Saori decided to change the subject before things could get awkward again.

"You got a letter from someone." Saori picked it up and held it towards Anacaona, waiting for her to take it.

"Oh, okay."

"Do you want me to read it for you?"

"No. I'll wait for your mother."

Saori nodded slowly. "Okay."

She stood up and left it on Anacaona's desk, cluttered with loose papers, sticky, sweet-smelling and bitter valves and candles. She wondered what to do next. Anacaona was a family guest, and it was her job to keep her company, though Anacaona mostly kept to herself; she was an anti-social type and kept an air of mystery around herself. Anacaona worked for most of the day; she usually came home to join the family for dinner and tea and retire to her bedroom. Saori asked her mother what kind of jobs Anacaona took, but her mother was tight-lipped about the question. Her reply was the same: "That's Anacaona's business, and she prefers to keep it private. Respect her by respecting her privacy."

"I left the letter on your desk, okay?" said Saori as she sat down.

"I know," replied Anacaona. "I can see your aura."

"Oh, so is that how you see things instead of using your sense of sight?" she asked. "Since, you know… you're blind."

"It doesn't work like that. No amount of aura-seeing would ever substitute for the sense of sight."

"Oh, I see… oops!" Saori blushed in shame and covered her cheeks with her wide sleeves.

"It's a mistake that everyone makes; you're not the only one." Anacaona drank up the rest of her tea and set the empty cup down. "When does your mother come home?"

"In an hour or two. She didn't give me a specific answer." Saori filled Anacaona's cup again. "Anacaona, I have a question."

"Shoot."

"When I found you under the cherry tree grove outside, you kept on yelling for someone named Joji…" said Saori carefully. "Who is he?"

Anacaona's eyes became cold and she turned her face to her left. "I wasn't yelling for anyone."

"Yes you were!" said Saori. "You kept asking Joji why did he leave you. Come on, I'm serious, who's Joji?"

"I think we've talked enough, Saori." Anacaona stood up and went to her desk. "Please, I wish to be alone."

"Is he someone you like?" Saori skipped up to Anacaona and giggled. "Like your crush? Or maybe your boyfriend?"

"Enough Saori…" Anacaona's voice dropped to a low growl, her hand balled into fists.

"You're turning red, he is your boyfriend!" Saori laughed and grabbed Anacaona's hands together. "Who would've thought that someone as intimidating and reserved like you could get a boyfriend?"

"I SAID **ENOUGH!** " Anacaona roared and the table where the tea was set flipped over.

Saori backed away from Anacaona, horrified at what she saw. Did Anacaona move the table? It couldn't have flipped over by itself. Anacaona leaned forward, clutching her chest in pain and winced softly, as if she was having a bad dream. She looked up at Saori with cold, hard eyes.

"Get out," she said firmly. "I don't want you anywhere near me, nor do I want you in my business. If the question you have concerns about my personal life or jobs, I will not answer them. Do you understand?"

"I'm sorry… I mean no harm..." Saori bowed to Anacaona and headed for the door. "Please forgive me… I only wanted to be your friend."

The door slammed shut and Anacaona hung her head in defeat. How could she be so impatient, so mean? Saori didn't mean to be malicious, annoying yes, but not mean. But when she asked about Joji, Anacaona went in full defensive mode. Maybe she overreacted, but she blew her cover by using her powers to flip over a table. She threw herself on the bed and hugged the pillow tight. Soon sleep overcame her and she drifted off to a dreamless world.

* * *

When she woke up, she heard the sound of someone fixing up the mess she made. Anacaona craned her neck to hear better.

"Who's there?"

"It me, Miho." The woman sounded older, yet youthful and warm.

"Oh, Mrs. Kido." Anacaona sat up in bed and pushed the blanket down to her hips. "Um… please excuse the mess. Saori brought some tea to help me warm up."

"She also told me that you got angry at her for asking too many questions. Please excuse Saori, she's very curious and it can border on being nosey or gossiping."

"She was only trying to get me to talk, but yes… she did ask me some questions I wasn't too keen on answering." Anacaona gave her a half smile. "She meant well though."

"Anacaona, I know you're trying to be polite, but sometimes Saori can get a little… unbearable."

Anacaona shook her head and heard Miho clean up the rest of the mess. "A letter came for me, do you know who delivered it?"

"My husband described him as a man with a large mustache and a monocle. He kept laughing and rubbing his hands together. Do you know him?"

"Uh… a debt collector I guess?" Anacaona lied. "Why don't you read me the letter and we'll clear this up in a matter of seconds."

Miho opened the letter and read it through. "It's an invitation card. Someone with the initials MJ wants you to meet him at the Isadora Inn at 6 PM. He said that you need to be ready for work."

"Alright. So I have until tomorrow to deal with the old man…" she said.

"It's already past six in the morning, Anacaona." said Miho.

"So I have less than twelve hours to meet Mad Jack." though Anacaona. "Thank you Mrs. Kido, I'll see you later for breakfast. Right now, I really need to get some sleep."

"Pleasant dreams, Anacaona." Miho turned to leave, but stopped. "Ana, she came to pay for this month's rent and she asked about you. What do you want me to say?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Mrs. Kido." Anacaona said softly. "I really need some rest."

Miho smiled sadly at Anacaona. "If you need someone to talk about it, you know that I'm here for you."

"I know." said Anacaona softly. "Thank you so much for letting me stay here, I promise I'll repay you back."

Miho smiled and shut the door silently. Anacaona went back to sleep, planning ahead on what to do for the day.


	3. The Arrival of Xiuhcoatl

**Chapter 3**

 **At The Isadora Inn…**

Mad Jack sighed impatiently while waiting for Anacaona to arrive at the Isadora Inn. The fact that he had to make Anacaona get The Book for him since Joe refused to hand it over. He checked his pocket watch again; 6:15 PM. She was already fifteen minutes late.

"First Joe doesn't have The Book and now you're fifteen minutes late to discuss business!" Mad Jack grumbled under his breath. "If you weren't so competent, I would've blasted you into the 16th century!"

"Blast me to what century now?" Anacaona said from behind Mad Jack.

Mad Jack jumped in surprise and faced the green-haired illusionist. "Anacaona, you finally arrived… fifteen minutes later than expected!"

"I'm here, isn't that better than not coming at all?" Anacaona chuckled and put her hands on her hips. "You act like I stood you up…"

"Shut up!" Mad Jack slammed his fist on the table. A bunch of people turned around to see what was going on and Mad Jack smiled in embarrassment. He cleared his throat and calmed himself down.

"Come Anacaona, please sit down." Mad Jack pulled out the seat across from him and Anacaona rolled her eyes.

"Change of attitude? Nice…" said Anacaona. "You're loopier than I thought." She twirled her index finger to the side of her head. "Now, let's not waste time; what do you want now?"

"Last night - after you were dismissed by me - I went to see Joseph and demanded he hand over The Book, like you said he had," Mad Jack's monocle gave off a malevolent gleam. "But it turns out that he doesn't have it!"

"So?"

"You said he would have The Book!" He pointed his index finger at her. "And you lied to me about it!"

"You're mad because you didn't get The Book?"

"Duh!" Mad Jack rolled his eyes at her. "And that's why I invited you here to discuss business."

"I understand," Anacaona leaned forward, her milky green eyes void of any emotion. "But I'm afraid we won't be discussing business any further..."

"Huh?" Mad Jack's lips turned into a scowl. "You're not implying what I think you are, Anacaona…"

Yes, I am." Anacaona grabbed some peanuts in a small bowl and started munching on them. "I'm not working for you anymore."

"That's absurd!" said Mad Jack. "You said you would help me!"

"And I did help you! You said you wanted me to get Joe for you and I did. Anything that could throw a wrench in our plans, I put in end to." Anacaona spit the peanut shells at him. "I got Joe, Sam and Fred for you in some remote, abandoned fortress. There was a sorceress with them; I made sure to lock her up with chains that nullify her magic. In addition, I got rid of the army by using my illusions. I practically set everything up so you can finally get your nephew."

"Then why won't you help me again?"

"You paid me half of the 'handsome reward' you offered," Anacaona tossed another peanut into her mouth (with skins and shell included, mind you). "That sealed the deal for me."

"I have something that might change your mind," Mad Jack's staff dimly glowed with power. "You didn't forget who released you from the psych ward right?"

Anacaona's pulse hissed in her ears and she dropped the peanuts.

"I paid the warden all the money he wanted to smuggle you out, and I'm pretty sure that you might be on the run from the Ryn authorities." Mad Jack grabbed his drink with a smug expression on his face. "Remember those days? When 'doctors' would perform all kinds of experiments to see how would someone of your background react? What was the word they described people like you? Oh yeah… **half-breeds**!"

"You wanna say that again, old man?" Anacaona slapped the drink out of his hand; her nails gleamed with her magic. "Because I can kill you and forget about the debt!"

"Do it…" Mad Jack motioned his hand to the people around them. "Let everyone in the tavern see the true nature of a half-breed…"

Anacaona felt countless pairs of eyes looking at her, and she was right. After Anacaona knocked the drink out of Mad Jack's hands, everyone turned around to see her poised position, ready to attack him. Anacaona lowered her hand in defeat and it took every fiber in her body to remain steady.

"Fine!" Anacaona said after a long pause. "But remember, I'm only working for you because of the debt."

"I always knew you'd turn around!" Mad Jack chuckled. "Shall we begin?"

She shrugged her shoulders in response. Mad Jack took it as a yes and pulled out a small dark purple bag.

"Put out your wrists, please."

Anacaona did. Mad Jack pulled out the two bracelets with the bright red gems. They flashed malevolently at her. Before he could attach the bracelets on, someone came running inside the tavern screaming in an incoherent language. His eyes were wide with fear and he wildly flailed his arms.

"It can't be…" Anacaona whispered in fear.

"What?" asked Mad Jack. "What's going on?"

"Xiuhcoatl is coming…" said Anacaona. "I can feel her aura… so heartless, so vicious…"

As on cue, the doors slammed open and the wind whipped violently. The windows exploded, showering shards of glass everywhere. The patrons in the bar screamed and started to exit using the back door. Mad Jack took cover behind an overturned table and peeked from behind it. Black mist started to leak inside the tavern from the broken windows, transforming into large black snakes with dark red scales. They accumulated in the center of the tavern, growing in quantity and size until the morphed into a large blob. Then, it started to change shape again. Two arms, two legs, a tall, willowy silhouette and chartreuse-colored snake-like eyes blinked back at the surprised patrons at the tavern.

"I come for Anacaona…" said the figure. "Is she here?"

"Yup," Anacaona stepped forward. "What do you want, Xiuhcoatl?"

"Excellent," Xiuhcoatl hissed, her mouth taking the form of a Cheshire cat grin. "If you must know… I've been sent by Aztlan's sovereign ruler to find you and reward you handsomely for your victory."

"Victory?"

"Yes, victory." Xiuhcoatl's tone sounded envious while addressing the blind girl. "As a thank you for single-handedly defeating Prophetess Necahual's army, she wants to give you this…"

With a snap of her fingers, two burly guards stepped forward with an ornate chest, and opened it. Inside was filled with gold and priceless jewels.

"You see? Well, if you weren't blind that is, but you understand…" Xiuhcoatl chuckled at her bad pun. "So much wealth that you could buy half a kingdom. I understand that you're in the potion business now, but sadly, it's only enough to give you the bare minimums."

Anacaona didn't say a word; she remained frigid and silent. "You didn't come here to just reward me; you have something else in that twisted mind of yours."

"No. Because I could care less about you. Half-breeds like you have no place in civilized society no matter how hard they try to be one or the other." spat Xiuhcoatl. "However, my superior has a different plan for you and that's why I'm here. You've been selected to serve as one of her highest-ranking soldiers; she's quite impressed at your 'powers'."

"Forget it." said Anacaona. "I'd rather work myself to death then touch your blood money. I won't be a pawn in any game, yours or the Dictator who claims to rule Aztlan!"

"What?!"

In a flash, black magic flared from Xiuhcoatl's palms and swirled around her in aggressive waves. Her nails, once regular size, extended into long black claws. Her fangs also grew in length.

"How dare you defy my demands?" Xiuhcoatl's voice rose to a demonic howl.

"That's it, she's a gonner…" Someone whispered.

"Anyone who goes against Xiuhcoatl's demands would surely get killed on the spot!" said another next to Mad Jack's hiding place.

"Her power is so great that it rivals that of Prophetess Necahual, the creator of the legendary Book!"

"Really?" Mad Jack turned to Xiuhcoatl with a crafty smirk on his face. "You don't say…?"

After what seemed like an eternity of suspense, the black mist faded and Xiuhcoatl brought her hands down without trouble. Although she brought herself back to normal, she kept a permanent scowl on her face.

"Alright." Xiuhcoatl said calmly. "You don't want any of these treasures and you don't want to work for us. Normally, when peasants defy my orders, I kill them on the spot. But I've been ordered not to lay a finger on you. Consider yourself lucky…"

"Oh, and one more thing…" said Xiuhcoatl as she closed the top part of the chest. "Are you sure you don't want anything inside this chest? Even this beautiful pair of gold rose stud earrings?"

Anacaona's jaw dropped. She tried to lunge towards Xiuhcoatl, but her two soldiers held her back.. "Those earrings… where did you get them? Answer me!"

"I'm sorry, but since you didn't want to work for us, I'm afraid I can't answer that question." Xiuhcoatl's body started to dematerialize into a large black snake. "But if you're still interested, you know where to find me."

"Good luck, you'll need it!" it was the last thing Xiuhcoatl said before she completely shape-shifted into a snake. She flicked her tongue out at Anacaona in a mocking tone before slithering out the tavern's window. Her soldiers also disappeared after she did teleported as soon as everyone was distracted with Xiuhcoatl's metamorphosis.

"Mad Jack!" Anacaona screamed at the top of her lungs. "Where are you?'

"I'm right here! Can't you see me?"

Anacaona grabbed Mad Jack by his collar and dragged him up on his feet. "No, but I can sense your cowardly aura a mile away. The bracelets!"

"Before I give you the bracelets, can you tell me a bit more about Xiuhcoatl?"

"Stop bullshitting and hand them over!" Anacaona cursed and snatched them out of his hands. The red gemstone hummed softly with magic before attaching themselves to her wrists. Anacaona grunted in pain and made her way towards the door.

"Mad Jack, are you coming or what?"

"Right ahead of you!" Mad Jack took out his staff and rushed after the green-haired girl. "Now, where was I before your friend arrived?"

"You were going to tell me what were your new plans for the warp runt…"

"I need you to make Joseph give me The Book, because I know you'd never lie to me, right Anacaona?"

"Right."

"Okay then. Start planning on how to make Joe gives you what I want and then I'll reward you."

Mad Jack tapped his staff on the ground and a flash of yellow light, they vanished together.

* * *

 **A/N: Wow, sorry about the really long wait for the next chapter! I'm just busy with college stuff and it's a little stressful for me! Anyway, thanks for reading and please leave a review!**


	4. Fights, Hot Chocolate and Love Potions

**Chapter 4**

 _She stood at the edge of a cliff, a sea of roses spread out before her in all shapes and sizes; blood red roses, pink roses, snow white roses, yellow roses, orange roses, the list went on and on. Blood dripped from the cuts all over her body, her white robes dirty and tattered, her body covered with blood, sweat and tears._

 _In a flash, thick vines with thorns came out of nowhere, wrapping themselves around the rocks and tearing up everything in its way._

 _She summoned her magic, but her body felt bruised and drained. The golden light crackling in her palms did little to stop them. The thorny vines grew in size and grappled themselves around her, warm sticky blood ran down her skin. She could do no more, but accept her fate._

 _As the vines dragged their new victim below the cliff, a low, salacious voice echoed through the area._

" _Everything you own, Tlanextli, will be mine… forever!"_

* * *

Tlanextli woke up with a start, her body covered in a cold sweat. Every fiber in her body was in excruciating pain, and it hurt to move her head. Her winces of pain caught Fred's attention.

"Tally, you're up!"

"Fred!" Tlanextli turned to see the blond. His face covered with small scratches and another black eye. "How long have you been awake?"

"After hearing 'Joe the Magnificent' mumble about something in his sleep." Fred eyed Joe who was still out. "Have you slept at all?"

"Not really." Tlanextli yawned, and regretted doing to. It even hurt to yawn! "I keep having these nightmares so I decided to stay awake…"

"I keep seeing snakes in mine…"

"I see roses, roses and sharp, thorny vines coming towards me. And no matter what I do, my magic can't help me." Tlanextli sighed and dropped her head to her chest. "It explains my situation perfectly."

"How?"

"I don't know…" said Tlanextli. "But let's not dwell on it. First thing's first, we have to get out of here. I'm worried about my brother, he'd know if something bad happened. I pray he won't do anything rash… again."

"We need to get help," Fred tugged on his chains. "One way or another…"

"I don't know about getting help, Fred. It took us hours to get here and there's nothing but forest for miles around. But let me try to break these chains…" Tlanextli closed her eyes and concentrated. Her chest rose and fell as she regulated her breathing. She kept concentrating, but it was hopeless, she couldn't summon her magic.

"My magic, I - I can't summon it!"

"You can't summon it?" Fred almost yelled. "Oh man, this is bad…"

"I don't understand…" Tlanextli looked at her hands. "Ever since I was a child, I had no difficulty summoning my magic. Without it, I feel so empty…"

"Maybe your body's in so much pain that you can't use it." suggested Fred.

"Nonsense! No matter the physical state of the magician, their magic is still active. The only time it isn't is when the person is unconscious or dead." Tlanextli's gold eyes flashed towards Fred's ribbon. "See? It's not moving."

"Now we're definitely in trouble…" said Fred.

"Tlanextli… Fred?" Joe's green eyes opened slowly.

"Joe!" Tlanextli smiled at him. "You're okay!"

"Well, just a bit shaken up, but I'm fine." Joe's eyes widen when he saw Tlanextli's face. "What happened to you?!"

"I was ambushed by a cloaked figure. I tried to defend myself, but I suddenly found myself alone and surrounded by red fog. I lost consciousness..." She looked back at Fred. "And then I woke up and saw Fred get attacked by that same person."

Joe didn't say anything. His mind ensnared in Mad Jack's cryptic threats. Fate, destiny written in the stars, The Great Divide… what did it all mean? Tlanextli looked back at Joe and Fred, suddenly confused at what was going on.

"Tlanextli, what's dividing?" Joe asked the priestess.

"It's when you separate things into parts. You don't know how to divide numbers, Joe?"

"No, I mean… I do! It's not the answer I was looking for..." Joe muttered. "What about the Great Divide?"

"The Great Divide?" Tlanextli echoed. "Why would somebody from Brooklyn want to know about The Great Divide? Wherever did you hear that from?"

"Just curious…"

"The Great Divide is a nickname for the civil war that happened in Aztlan 1000 years ago. It's the reason why Aztlan is such a mess right now, and to be honest, there are so many stories it's hard to keep the history straight. Many of Aztlan's enemies came in right after Aztalan was pretty much destroyed and erased chunks of our past." Tlanextli narrowed her eyes at no one in particular. "That's why a lot of the current citizens don't 'look' like the Mexica, and if I were to be realistic, many of those who do look Mexica are mixed with something else…"

"So what is The Divide anyway?" asked Fred.

"Well, it's a spell that destroys and rewrites fate as the one who casts the spell sees fit. When The Great Divide happened, Prophetess Tonalnan used The Divide and had saved Aztlan from fading into existence." shed took a breath before continuing. "I wish I could tell you everything, but I think you should as Prophetess Necahual. She knows Aztlan's history from the back of her hand."

"Um… I have a question." she said after a long pause. "How did you two get here in the first place?"

"It's a long story, Tally…" said Fred with a wave of his hand. "I wouldn't want to bore you with it…"

"Actually…" Joe butted in, staring daggers at Fred. "You can thank Fred for all of this. He's the reason why we're both here!"

"Fred's fault? How…"

"Fred and his over-inflated ego are to blame for me and Sam getting trapped here!" Joe tugged at his chains and stood up. "He becomes your bodyguard and suddenly he doesn't know how to act right! Just because you're a bodyguard doesn't mean you know everything!"

"I never said I did!" Fred shot back. "But at least I know when to take action when it's necessary. Or what? Stand around and do nothing when you know something went wrong in the fortress?"

"Wait, what?"

Seeing Joe and Fred go at each other like a pack of wild dogs was unnerving; she knew that Fred was angry at Joe and Sam and the latter was also angry at the former, but never did she see them interact with each other so viciously. Was the issue deeper than just a misunderstanding or did something happen while she was away?

"You didn't have to prove your point by beating us up!"

"I defended myself! It's not my fault if you two don't know how to fight your battles!"

"Just like you don't know when to control yourself?" Joe turned his head to show his busted lip and his nose. "You messed me up!"

"GUYS!" Tlanextli yelled. Joe and Fred stopped arguing and looked back at the priestess. Tlanextli took a deep breath and looked back at them disapprovingly.

"Look, I get that you're mad that this happened…but now is not the chance to argue about it! And..." she faced Joe and frowned. "... I'm sorry it turned out this way. I should've just handed you some Time Crystals and let all three of you return to Brooklyn. I can take the heat from Prophetess Necahual."

"What? No!" said Joe. "You don't have to apologize for anything!"

"Joe's right, even if he did back out at the last minute…" said Fred. "Someone planned all of this…"

"Me…" said a familiar voice.

Joe, Tlanextli and Fred watched as a hooded figure entered inside the cell alongside a mustached man with a monocle.

"Mad Jack!" Fred yelled and glared at him.

"Mad who?" asked Tlanextli.

"That's my uncle," said Joe. "He's mad."

"I prefer the term 'diabolically brilliant'..." Mad Jack bowed in front of Tlanextli and gave her an evil smile. "Ahh, so they DO exist! I thought _The Order of the Uetzcayotl Priestesses_ was just a myth, but I guess I was wrong!"

" _The Order of the Uetzcayotl Priestesses_?" asked Joe.

"Long story; can't tell you now!"

"Don't worry, I'm not interested…" Mad Jack dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "I only came for one thing and one thing only…"

"Ladies and gentlemen…" Mad Jack stepped aside. "I'd like to introduce to you my assistant!"

The hooded figure stepped forward and removed the cloak with a light 'swish' noise. The light green hair and long red nails hit Joe like a ton of bricks.

"Anacaona!" Joe gasped in shock. "You're working for Mad Jack?"

"Unfortunately." she replied with a bored expression. "But why not get paid for torturing you, even if it means working for a clinically insane dork? By the way, I see dorkiness runs in the family."

"Joe, you know this chick?" Fred eyed Joe oddly.

"She's the psychotic blind girl I told you about!"

"Psychotic?" Anacaona roared. "Hey, I am nowhere near the level of crazy as your uncle is! At least I know when a plan's going to fail or something!"

"Femi was right about you!" said Joe. "You're the mastermind behind this whole abduction and you're working for my uncle."

After he mentioned her, Anacaona narrowed her eyes and the migraine that tortured him before suddenly came back. He could see her bracelets glowing faintly.

"Say that little bitch's name again, Joe. I dare you…"

Joe tried to say something, but he was such intense pain that he couldn't utter a word. Anacaona tilted her head to the side and Joe's body jerked to the floor. Tlanextli looked in horror as Anacaona continued to move Joe's body like a rag doll with her mind.

"Stop it! He doesn't know how to use magic!" Tlanextli said defiantly.

"Just like you can't use yours?" Anacaona chuckled. "After you lured blondie here, I knew that you weren't some ordinary priestess. So I used a 'special' type of inhibitors; these nullify your magic, rendering you useless. Keep struggling all you want, I'll wait…"

"Just wait until I break free, I'll show you for attacking a priestess of Prophetess Necahual!"

"And if you don't shut up, I'll make you. Permanently!"

"Back off!" said Fred.

Anacaona shook her head and turned towards Fred. "I won't waste my time with you, you're nothing but dumb muscle. I can tear tree stumps with one finger."

"Anacaona!" said Mad Jack. "I didn't pay you to hold conversations with these children… do as I say!"

"As you wish…" replied Anacaona, she turned to face Joe with a bloodthirsty grin.

"Say goodbye to your friends for a while, warp runt!" Anacaona waved her hands and two arms made of her magic show forward and wrapped around his arms. "Because we have a little 'catching-up' to do!"

Joe struggled to break free, but found it useless. The migraine got stronger now, and if Anacaona could move him with her mind, she somehow got stronger.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere where your uncle and I can ask you a few personal questions." Anacaona yanked Joe's head and whispered in his ear. The sensations send shivers down his body in an oddly pleasurable way, "And where I can ask you something that's been plaguing me for a while now…"

"I told you should be afraid, Joseph…" said Mad Jack with a triumphant grin. "And it looks like I was RIGHT!"

Joe was taken away from Tlanextli and Fred and saw his whole world was spinning before him. Mad Jack and Anacaona? Working together? What has the world come to? Surely, the end.

* * *

"Suzette, where is my uniform?" Sacnite called from her boudoir. "I told you to get it cleaned before Captain Tlacelel's arrival!"

"It's almost done, Lady Sacnite!" Suzette called from the doorway. She pulled out a potion bottle filled with bubbly lilac-colored liquid and put it inside her apron pocket. "I can go and check up on it now!"

"Please do! Oh and also..." Sacnite stuck her head out of the door and eyed her suspiciously. "If I find you tailing after Asher again, you won't get paid! Stop distracting Prophetess Necahual's messenger, he has a job to do!"

"Yes Lady Sacnite, I'm sorry!" said Suzette.

Asher had arrived to The Palace after spending a week training his new mentee. Now that Tlanextli was away and everyone was busy distracted with anticipation, she could finally put her plan in motion. She closed the door behind her and sprinted off into the kitchens, eager to try out the philter. She greeted the kitchen staff warmly and waited until all of them left for their break. She lit a fire and set up a pot of water.

The way Aztlan made hot chocolate was different from her native France. Instead of using milk, it was made with near boiling water. This type of hot chocolate was sold in circular tables that dissolved in hot water and then blended in until the mixture developed into a creamy froth. She used a woodturning whisk called a _molinillo_ to stir and added the perfect amount of sugar and vanilla to the mixture.

Another idea sprung to mind: she should fry up some of those _choux_ pastries that went alongside the hot chocolate. The churros, right! And the chocolate sauce used to dip it in. Time seemed to pass by and before she knew it, everything was ready and Suzette finished cooking by sprinkling some sugar on the churros. She took out a large tray and set it up. She 'accidentally' set down two mugs for the hot chocolate and then made her way to the hot chocolate drink. She looked around the room before pulling the potion out.

"Well, here goes nothing…" she whispered. She removed the cork and slowly poured the love potion in. The white steam turned a pinker hue and little steam hearts floated up from the hot chocolate. She poured half of the bottle inside, and that seemed to do the trick. The rest could be a type of backup, in case something went wrong.

"Suzette, are you still in here?" Someone called from the doorway. The door opened.

The potion bottle fell from Suzette's grasp and into the hot chocolate; her plan to use the rest of the potion on another occasion had failed. A large pink heart made of mist appeared and then dematerialized. She cursed under her breath in French and turned around, using her body to shield the stove.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Lady Sacnite demands that you tell her where her uniform is." the kitchen girl came inside with a pained expression on her face. "Gods have mercy on you, she's so angry. Cursing in Spanish and French and I don't know what else."

"Well, you tell her that the uniform won't be ready until tomorrow." Suzette stirred the hot chocolate and attempted to fish the bottle from inside the hot chocolate. It was still boiling hot, and Suzette decided to just place it on the tray. "Do you know where Asher is? I made him some hot chocolate."

"Hot chocolate? But it's over seventy degrees outside…"

"Can't Prophetess Necahual's official messenger have a snack after dinner? He works so hard defending Aztlan, I think he deserves some of my hot chocolate!" said Suzette with a hand on her hip.

"He's probably in his study." The kitchen girl turned to her rack of spices before looking at Suzette carrying the large tray full of food. "Do you want me to open the door for you?"

"No. I'll just use my magic to open the door…" Suzette sarcastically remarked.

"You're welcome!" the kitchen girl muttered as Suzette left the kitchen, holding the door out for her.

Suzette made her way to where Asher's quarters were located. She heard some shouts at the end of the hallway, but dismissed them. It wasn't until she saw a rush of foot soldiers race towards the opposite direction that she realized something was wrong. She turned around and saw the foot soldiers who left with Captain Tlacelel is a horrific state. Their clothes were tattered and dirty, their face covered with blood sweat and tears and she swore she saw some of them trying to claw their eyes out.

One of the men jumped to their feet, and sprinted towards Suzette. Suzette yelped in alarm and tried to move away, but the tray she carried made it difficult to move. The guards jumped on the man and tried to restrain him, but through some supernatural force, he broke free and crumpled up in a corner clawing at his eyes...

"Always watches, no eyes... no eyes... NO EYES!" He gave an inhuman cry and lurched towards Suzette.

"Snake woman! Snake woman!" he roared and made a grab for her.

Suzette dropped the tray and all of the food spilled to the ground. Asher came in and used his bolas to trap the man's legs, yet he used his arms to move himself forward.

"Guards! Secure the perimeter, make sure you find all of Captain Tlacelel's men and bring them to the infirmary. If they are acting aggressive, do not hesitate to restrain them!" Asher ordered.

"Asher!" Someone called from the end of the hallway.

Asher and Suzette turned around and found Tlacelel running towards them. He too, was dirty and injured, but he seemed to be fine for the most part.

"Alert Prophetess Necahual, call the Sanctuary and ask for auxiliaries! The Dictator's got her!" Tlacelel gripped Asher's shoulders tightly.

"Who?"

"Tlanextli."

* * *

 **A/N: It makes you wonder what exactly went down with Anacaona and Tlacelel's army. Now on another note, Suzette is a pretty good cook...**


	5. A Shift in Power

**Chapter 5**

The hallways seemed to stretch for miles as Joe slowly came back to consciousness. Anacaona dragging him on the ground by the collar of his tunic and every time a sharp rock got in his way, Joe winced in pain. Mad Jack saw this and looked at Anacaona's direction.

"Don't drag him on the floor so much!"

"Who? Warp runt?" she said.

"Who else?"

"This is coming from the guy who wants his nephew killed so he can rule the universe?" Anacaona replied to Mad Jack's sentence.

"Do as I say, assistant!" A loud THUD! behind Joe and Mad Jack's groans of pain meant that Anacaona used her new powers to slam Mad Jack into the stone wall.

"Please?!"

Anacaona sighed and Joe's body lifted a few feet in the air. They kept walking for what seemed like days, and it put Joe on edge. He expected the worse to happen, but nothing WAS happening. The suspense kept dragging on and every turn they made, Joe expected Anacaona to rip his throat out with her bare hands and Mad Jack laugh at his greatest victory.

However, a thought sprung to Joe's mind. Maybe the accidental warp was triggered by a time bomb. A bomb planted by Mad Jack's assistant. Anacaona.

From day one, Anacaona was overly aggressive towards him, and just when he thought he seen the last of her, she was there. It made sense. Anacaona was working for Mad Jack. No wonder why people were so afraid of Anacaona when she was around; to work for someone like Mad Jack, meant that you were also not quite "well in the head".

Joe remember the dream he had about Femi. Femi was a slave and she was forced to hunt around for The Book. If Anacaona was already Mad Jack's assistant during Joe's first warp to Ryn, then that could explain why Anacaona held such animosity towards Femi; there was competition on who could find The Book first. At least Femi had a good reason to steal The Book.

"We're here!" said Anacaona. She used her mind to open the door and the three entered the room. When they stepped foot, the candles lit up, filling the room with a dim light. In the middle of the room was a bed. With thick brown straps. The same type of beds used in asylums to shock treatment.

Joe looked at Anacaona in horror. "You wouldn't."

Anacaona didn't look his way. "Watch me."

Two arms made of red mist shot out from the ground and kept Joe in place, while Anacaona used her magic to prepare the bed, opening the straps, smoothing down the sheets and testing the rotation. The bed turned in a full circle, rotated horizontally and also vertically up. After she was done tinkering around with the bed, she made a 'come hither' motion towards Joe. The arms obeyed her and brought Joe to her.

"NO! LET GO OF ME!" Joe thrashed around as Anacaona strapped him to the bed. A burning sensation gnawed on his skin from where the straps were placed and sweat started to form on his forehead.

"Do the straps burn?" Anacaona asked him menacingly.

"YES!" Joe cried out.

"They're laced with a special type of magic that can hinder yours. Think of them as time magic inhibitors. They stop anyone who uses time magic. And this is a surprise, considering you have no time magic powers."

"Maybe because he was destined to be the Warp Wizard?" said Mad Jack. He used his staff to block Anacaona from taking another step forward. "Now step aside, it's my time to get information out of this little warp runt."

He held up his staff and smiled at his triumph. "Now we'll see if you want to talk or not…"

"WAIT!" Anacaona pulled him aside and jabbed her index finger in his face.

"What?" Mad Jack sighed in irritation.

"You said I could have a go at him first!"

"I said you could." Mad Jack replied. "I never promised anything!"

"Wha - ?" Anacaona took a step back, and balled her hands into fists. "You LIED to me!"

"So what if I did?" Mad Jack rolled his eyes at her. "The only reason I brought you here is because my nephew couldn't believe that I had someone so competent on my side. So I brought you here to give him a little scare. He's trembling in his cheap sandals now, your work here is done."

"You're FIRING me?!" Anacaona's jaw dropped. "I can't believe this. You're way to pathetic to let someone so efficient go."

"Keep talking like that and you'll never see the rest of the money!" Mad Jack's face was so close to Anacaona's Joe swore he saw some spit fly on her face.

Anacaona wiped the side of her face, rubbed her fingers together and slammed her fist so hard into Mad Jack he slammed into the wall across from them. He tried to use his staff, but Anacaona used the bracelets to levitate it out of his grasps. Without his staff, he was rendered useless.

Anacaona made sure to let Mad Jack have it. Joe was certain he'd never seen Anacaona so brutal in his life. She cursed him out and kept throwing hit after hit. Joe was sure, she almost beat him to death. She grabbed him by the shoulders and lifted him up from the ground.

"Be lucky that I didn't mentally scar you for life!" Anacaona roared, her teeth baring and her eyes filled with hate. "But if I cross paths with you again, I won't hesitate to fuck you up for life!"

With that, dropped Mad Jack on the ground, and she spit on him. The staff fell to the ground a few feet away from Mad Jack. Mad Jack stayed there for a while before finally moving. He crawled on his hands and knees, dripping blood on the floor. His breath ragged and his eyes filled with rage and humiliation.

"This isn't over, Anacaona." Mad Jack tried to get up, but he fell back to the ground. "You will rue the day you turned against me!"

Using his pocket watch, he disappeared in a flash of yellow, ticking light.

"Not as sorry as you'll be." Anacaona muttered and waited a minute to catch her breath.

Anacaona felt Joe's penetrating gaze on her back. She whirled around and eyed him menacingly.

"What are you looking at?"

"You nearly beat my uncle to death!" Joe said in amazement. "He escaped so many times, unharmed!"

"That's because you have no powers of your own to use in the first place…" Anacaona walked toward Joe.

"I stopped an arrow from hitting my sister. Doesn't that count?"

Anacaona shrugged her shoulders and turned her attention away from him. "With your hands or time magic?"

"Time magic."

"I underestimated you." Anacaona said. "I thought you were some kid who got the most powerful object in the space-time continuum, but now I see your uncle wasn't truly bonkers."

"Soo…" Joe prompt.

"So what?" Anacaona tilted her head slightly to the side.

"Does that mean you're going to let me go?" asked Joe. "Since you quit being my uncle's assistant."

"Oh no. I was never on Mad Jack's side in the first place." said Anacaona. She walked over to the side of the bed and Joe felt it rotate a full circle before it stood up vertically. After it spun another circle, he found himself face-to-face with Anacaona.

"I had a completely different agenda to that of your uncle's. The only reason I agreed to work for him, was the knowledge that I'd find you again."

"What?" Joe's body broke out into a cold sweat. The fear that left him just a few moments ago came back.

"Did you really think I was going to let you go after your uncle finally got away? This was the plan all along!"

She smiled coyly and sat next to Joe with one leg draped over the other. She gave Joe a hungry look and her full lips were pulled into a smile. "Now let's make use of the time we have together… because I'm just as ready as you are."

"For what?"

"I have questions, Joe. About a certain someone…" Her voice dropped to a hard tone. "And you're going to give me answers!"

"Do I at least have a say in the matter?"

Anacaona lifted her hand and Joe saw how intensely the electricity crackled around the bracelets and her dangerously sharp fingernails.

"I'm afraid you don't." Her eyes started to glow faintly and red mist started to leak inside the room. "Let's get started…"

* * *

 **A/N: I'M BACK EVERYONE!**

 **I finally uploaded Chapter 5, and although it's short, we see things switch around. However, the gang is still locked up in a remote fortress and now Anacaona is taking charge. Stay tuned to find out what happens next! (In about a month, lol. I'm kidding!)**


	6. Another Flashback

**A/N: Do you remember when I used to write TWT fanfiction? I do!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Another Flashback**

 _"So… why are you here?"_

 _Anacaona remained quiet but she felt like the man living next to her was really interested in what she had to say. After all, she barely moved in two weeks ago._

 _"I killed a man."_

 _"That's it?" The man with the monocle and crazy gleam in his eye chuckled. "Seems like an excessive sentence just for murdering someone."_

 _"He was a guard from the old prison I was from. An 'assistant' to the prison scientists they have there." Anacaona could feel the anger starting to rise up in her throat. "I don't want to say much, but he wanted to see how much 'stamina' a half-breed like me can have. So I gutted him like the pig he was for trying."_

 _"Who would want to cuddle up to a half-breed?" Mad Jack stopped himself. "No offense kid…"_

 _"Wonderful world we lived in, right Charlie?" Anacaona sarcastically replied._

 _"It's Jack. Don't listen to what Archer tells you. I know he gives you extra fruit on a stick but they're all the same! I was just trying to leave this dump when they grabbed me and told me time magic is outlawed here in Ryn!" Mad Jack roared. "How was I supposed to know?"_

 _"Time magicians are supposed to carry identification here. It helps, but it doesn't stop the authorities from always singling you out. Time magic VS magic rivalries. I don't care cuz I'm just half-breed freak so…" Anacaona yawned and rolled on her side._

 _"Any family?"_

 _"None…" Anacaona remained quiet for a moment before speaking up in a softer tone. "I had a mom but she never came back for me…"_

 _Mad Jack could sense that he struck a nerve, so he decided to rant about his own family woes. "I have a niece and nephew from my sister's side and I hate them because they took something very precious from me."_

 _"Don't you just hate things like that? I helped this girl out from her trash living arrangement and she stole everything from me."_

 _Mad Jack peeled back the poster he stuck on the wall and looked through the hole. He finally saw what she looked like. She was a brown girl with milky green eyes and green hair. She wasn't lying when she said she was young. She looked to be around 14 and **normal**. No fangs, no animalistic body parts… she looked like a regular human girl. Nothing like the half-breeds he's seen before._

 _"Okay, so don't panic, but I'm not just some average run-of-the-mill nutcase." Mad Jack chuckled. "I've been here for six months and I just decided to dig a hole and see if my jail mates can be a potential…"_

 _"A potential what…?" Anacaona cocked her head to the side in confusion._

 _"Potential partners in crime…" Mad Jack smiled. "You see, my nephew happened to stick his meddling nose in something that was supposed to be my destiny. He came in, took what wasn't his and then had the audacity to make himself seem like the victim! I haven't seen him in years, but when I get my hands on him… I'll make sure to wipe his existence into oblivion!"_

 _"I guess you and I aren't so different after all…" Anacaona leaned in closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I had everything amazing in my life taken away from me by a manipulative backstabber. Speaking of which, she also happened to get some runt to do her dirty work and that's why I'm in this mess. She stole my money and he took her place in jail. He got me all fired up and then I was dragged away."_

 _"What's the White Knight's name and who was the backstabber?"_

 _"It's not important but the guy with her was named Joseph or Joe… one of the two."_

 _"That name doesn't ring a bell… WHAT?!" Mad Jack turned to her in shock. "Joe?"_

 _"Yeah, he was looking for something because I remember seeing him in a marketplace. I play a flute and I think I still have it with me." Anacaona stuck her flute into the hole and gave it to Mad Jack. "It's the only thing they let me take with me."_

 _"That's my nephew! But what was he doing here in the magical world? I remember my brother Joe locked those pages in_ The Book _so I wouldn't be able to hide here…"_

 _"Wait, wait wait…" Anacaona stopped Mad Jack from continuing his tangents. "You're related to that guy?"_

 _"Yes! I'm his uncle and he just so happened to be the owner of The Book. MY book!"_

 _"His mom did a great job in raising a thief; he's even friends with the con artist that snatched all of my gold!"_

 _"Where is he?" Mad Jack leaned against the wall in anticipation. "I have to find him!"_

 _"I don't know where he is," Anacaona's face hardened and a shadow casted over her features. "But I swear when I do find him, he and Femi will die when I get out of here…"_

 _Mad Jack thought he was just seeing things again, but he saw faint swirls of red mist slowly start to leak under his door, he turned back to see Anacaona emitting a red aura and her fingernails starting to spark electricity. He jumped back when he saw her; she looked like she was about to murder someone. His mind started to faintly remember when the guards brought her to the dungeons, they joked about her being a half-breed, but when he saw her face to face… she looked like a normal girl._

 _"Listen, Scar…" Mad Jack tried to lighten up the mood. "Can I nickname you Scar… short for Scarlett, with all this red mist in the room?"_

 _Anacaona didn't reply, the red mist thickening._

 _"Okay, never mind…" Mad Jack sighed. "But listen… how about you can get all of the gold you lost… plus… getting to do whatever you want to my warp runt of a nephew?_

 _He could feel the red fog lighten up and Anacaona's murderous glare softened back to confusion yet again._

 _"Can you actually get me out?"_

 _"Anything is possible with one of these…" He fixed the sleeves of his prison uniform and pulled out his trusted pocket watch. "It's a pocket watch I use to travel through space and time."_

 _"They do exist…" She breathed in astonishment._

 _"But…" Mad Jack pulled the pocket watch away. "We have to make a deal!"_

 _"Shoot. Whatever you want, just as long as I get food, money and my revenge."_

 _"Done! Let's shake on it!"_

 _Anacaona stuck her hand out the hole. Mad Jack grabbed her hand firmly and pulled her towards him. He pressed the pocket watch's button and a bright yellow light filled the two rooms. The ticking noise grew louder and louder until they were engulfed by a flash of yellow light._

* * *

 _"Dinner time, Crazy Charlie!" The sound of a jolly prison guard's whistling filled the hallway. "And I got you an extra fruit on a stick, Ana…"_

 _The tray fell with a CLANG and he stepped back in shock._

 _Anacaona and Mad Jack were not in their rooms._

 _A murderous half-breed and a criminally insane man were on the loose._

 _"Archer, is everything okay down there?" The prison warden radioed him._

 _"They're not there…"_

 _"What do you mean 'they're not there'?"_

 _"The - the half-breed and the Time Scavenger are missing!" Archer finally stopped stuttering._

 _"Sound the alarm and set the sector on lock down," The warned ordered, and the sirens blared throughout the prison. "Whatever happens, we can't afford to have these two leave our area!"_

 _"Archer…"_

 _"Yes, sir?"_

 _"Good luck.. You'll need it."_


	7. Another Crazy Partnership

**Chapter 7: Another Crazy Partnership**

"...And that's how I met Mad Jack." Anacaona cheerfully finished her story. "And made the deal and escaped the prison."

"That explains some things, but I still don't understand why you went to these extremes," Joe pointed to the painful restraints and the bed he was strapped into.

"This place has several torture rooms. I think it was an intelligence Bay but I might be mistaken. Mad Jack and I used to come here every evening to fix things up. Then I'd go and go get something to eat around midnight and head to bed." Anacaona avoided answering Joe's question and pulled out a flute. "I gained some weight that way."

"But how long was I away for?"

"I think six months? I don't know, time is nothing but a blur to me. And you can't see time anyway…"

"Maybe because you're blind…"

"Everything I do is somehow because I'm blind, right?" Anacaona made an exaggerated sigh and got on her feet. "People are more surprised I can use chopsticks perfectly fine instead of you know, being terrified I'm able to kill them with my bare hands."

Anacaona changed the pitch of her voice to mimic someone else. "Anacaona joined forces with a deranged older man bent on killing his nephew? Wow, it must be because she's blind and not because that same nephew was the accomplice to the con artist that stole her money!"

"Accomplice?" Joe's jaw dropped. "You think I helped Femi steal your money and throw you in jail?"

Anacaona turned to face him and stayed quiet. "Yeah, you let yourself get a slap on the wrist and let her run away. Tell me, did she try to find you, or figured out you were the fall guy and bounced?"

"That's not true!" Joe raised his voice, but yelped in pain as soon as he felt the straps holding him in starting to dig under his skin and burn him.

"You know, I don't believe you."

"I'm telling you the truth." Joe gave another cry of pain but he kept going. "Even if Femi did take your money, I didn't know a thing about it. What Mad Jack told you about me stealing The Book is false. It's mine and given to me by my Uncle Joe on my tenth birthday."

"Why did you land in jail then?" Anacaona's eyes narrowed to red glowing slits, Joe knew she was trying to read him. "Answer that and you better not lie to me or else…"

"Well, I uh…" Joe took a deep breath. "I got thrown into jail because I refused to press charges against you."

"Yeah, first time offenders usually get a slap on the wrist especially if they're foreigners but… huh?" Anacaona's eyes widen in surprise. "You didn't tell them about me?"

"You or Femi." Joe sighed. "I didn't want the two of you to get in trouble over something that wasn't that big of a deal."

"Well, Ryn is known for having everyone get written up for minimal things. I already had five or six offenses." Anacaona gave and nervous chuckle.

"Like what?" Joe stopped himself. "I mean, if you don't mind me asking…"

"Half of them were me getting into fights in public. The rest were because I didn't have a licence to perform on the streets." Anacaona waved her flute at him. "Granted, they knew I don't know how to read or write. So, how was I going to go to a class and do the written section?"

"I think they just came after for you because it would fill their quota."

"Quota?" Anacaona dropped her flute and sat up. "Is that why they threw you in jail?"

"I got thrown in jail because I stayed silent and Femi almost got captured but she ran away."

"Femi is a snake; that's why she got out so quickly." Anacaona picked up her flute and pointed it at Joe. "Look, I'm glad you ran out from the authorities but for me, because I've known Femi for longer than you have… I have my reasons for being so hostile towards her. If I told you everything, you'd understand."

"Another thing, Joe." Anacaona called to him while fingering her flute. "Did you have to sign something before they took you to jail?"

"They gave me a sheet, but I didn't sign anything. Really, Phoebus payed my bail money and I got out of jail that way."

"Phoebus… is that your friend?"

"I mean, he paid my bail so…"

"Right, no one does that unless they're your friend…" Anacaona said the last part quietly and Joe realized she felt that way because Mad Jack broke her trust and she had to end their partnership.

"Mad Jack was never your friend. My uncle is not a good person. Anacaona, he took advantage of you at your most vulnerable state."

"Yeah, I kinda guessed he was shifty too. But if it makes you feel better… I was the one who double-crossed him." She gave him an uneasy grin.

"That was something!"

"He's not getting your book, but Joe, remember why you're here." Anacaona's face turned serious. "I may have chased Mad Jack away from you, but you still need to answer my question on Femi whereabouts."

Joe's stomach did a flip. Just a few seconds ago he was actually getting along with his kidnapper talking trash about his uncle. He also started to understand on why she was so determined to get back at him. He "took Femi's place" in jail and let her get away.

Joe was technically not the bad guy, but an accomplice to Femi. Anacaona could see that Joe wasn't a bad guy, but someone who got wrapped up with Femi and whatever she did in the past. Sure, she had her reasons (being a slave and sent to steal in order to survive can have that effect), but she **still stole from** Anacaona. Thanks to the confusion, Femi was able to sneak away, but not Anacaona or Joe. That memory still remained crystal clear in her mind. Even if Joe was the most well-meaning, friendly guy, he let someone who stole from her go back into hiding.

Anacaona didn't care much about the gold anymore - she could get as much as she wanted by doing more mercenary work - but knowing Femi was still out there, running around scot-free and probably smirking to herself how she once again took something valuable from her… it only reminded her of the last time Femi walked away from facing the music Anacaona had to face...

She couldn't sit and wait around, wondering when she'd come back. Joe was her only lead. Whether he liked it or not, she just wanted to know where she was. Joe could tell her if she was with someone else and she could go to the Black Market up at Ryn and find three possible leads in just three hours. Whatever Joe wanted to keep secret, she could find herself. All she needed was some verifications and that was it.

"Why do you want to get back at her so badly?" Joe asked her the golden question. "I know she stole from you, but look at what you can do! I know you'll be able to make more money by working for someone else! You don't need to live in the past anymore, you almost took over the space-time continuum with my uncle, just imagine what you can do if you put your mind to it!"

" _What the heck am I doing_?" Joe thought to himself. " _What if she's putting on a show and here I am giving her ideas on how to move on? My friends and I are still trapped in here_!"

"You're a loyal guy, Joe and a good friend. But Femi isn't a good person…" Anacaona turned away before speaking. "You may not believe me, but I don't need your approval in my mission. Her fake niceness doesn't justify what she did to me. I was homeless, I had to play on the streets to feed myself and all she did was sweet-talking you and she's got a clean record in your books?"

"She showed me around the marketplace…"

"I could've done that; any native in Ryn could've guided you at the marketplace!" Anacaona rubbed her temples and her shoulders sagged. "It's not about the first impressions or who got you what, Joe. People can mean well and then stab you in the back when you're not looking."

"Is that what she did to you?"

Anacaona didn't respond and Joe felt like she was not lying. She wasn't spewing fire at him anymore, but she seemed exhausted and beat down. Maybe all this revenge was starting to tire her out and she'd be having second thoughts. If he could keep swaying her to forget about getting her vengeance, Femi and Phoebus could be safe after all.

"I said I didn't know where she is because I really don't know what happened to her after I met up with her for the last time." Joe remembered when he last saw Femi, she had passed out and Phoebus held her in his arms with such care that his friend, Richard, was not happy.

"The last time I saw her… She was with my friend Phoebus. He said he'll take care of her until she got better. But I don't know if she stayed or not." Joe sighed. "I tried to warp back to Ryn, but I couldn't. If six months did pass here and you say Femi hops from place to place… she might be gone."

"Yes," Anacaona's face looked crestfallen. "You're right. Femi wouldn't stay so long in one place. I know her too well…"

Joe heard her sniffle and he could see that there were tears brimming in her eyes.

"I, I lost everything." She hiccupped. "I had what I wanted and… and…"

Joe was actually surprised that Anacaona could cry. But then he remembered that she and Femi were both girls, young girls lost in a cruel world and they must've felt alone. Anacaona was no exception. He decided to play it safe and try to calm her down, remembering that Anacaona was very passionate about many things.

"Woah, hey now… that's not true. You can always try again and start from scratch. Besides, she's gone now..." Joe tried to comfort her.

"I guess there's no point in keeping you and your friends here any longer," Anacaona snapped her fingers and the bonds that kept Joe trapped snapped open.

He rubbed his wrists and turned to see if Anacaona would do something else. But she just put her knees up to her chest and buried her head there.

"So… can my friends and I leave now?"

"You can, but I have a different thing in mind…"

Joe's eyes widen and his heart started to pound in his chest. What was she planning now?

Anacaona laughed, but it wasn't evil at all. "Calm down, you're aura's flipping like crazy and it's getting me jumpy!"

"Well, you said you had something else in mind…" Joe looked around the room, he started to feel uneasy. "What are you going to do with me?"

"Hm…." Anacaona put a finger to her temple and thought for a moment. "I just had a crazy idea but I don't know if it'll work..."

"I really want my money back, but Femi is gone and if I'm correct, she's with a man named Phoebus. Right, Joe?" An evil grin flashed on her face and Joe knew what that meant. She was ready to go hunt down his friend.

"Don't bring Phoebus into this!" Joe ran up to her, but Anacaona pushed him back with her hand. "He has nothing to do with this! It's me who helped Femi take your money If you want our money back, take me! I'll help you out!"

"Wow, getting you to agree to my deal was easier than I thought!" Anacaona grinned like crazy but she managed to get Joe to calm down. "I'll sweeten the deal too! If you can help me get my money back, I'll stop chasing after Femi and never come back into your life."

That was a big fat lie, but Joe was no mind reader. She was.

"Really?" Joe looked at her in surprise. "If I help you, you won't go after Femi?"

She nodded.

Joe took a deep breath and rephrased what he said "What do you need help in?"

"I haven't gotten that far because I'm thinking about food." A loud rumbling filled the room and Joe looked at Anacaona.

"See?" said Anacaona. "I get upset when I don't eat on time."

She picked up her things and made her way to Joe. "I'm gonna get something to eat. You want anything?"

Joe looked at her, still unsure if Anacaona finally dropped her crusade against him and Femi or faking the whole thing.

"You took too long deciding; I'll get ramen because I have a serious craving for it"

"As long as it isn't salty, I'm fine with chicken ramen."

"Chicken ramen… really?"

Joe blushed. "Well, back in Brooklyn, Sam and Fred would take me to get ramen at this place and I would always get the chicken one. Just with low sodium."

"No, it's just… chicken isn't a popular ramen flavor here." Anacaona put on her cloak and pulled the hood over her face. "Alright. I'll get you the chicken ramen and we can continue talking about the plan."

"As long as I don't get hurt… I guess its fine."

"Don't worry; you're not in danger anymore. Just think of yourself as the golden goose. I won't be able to get what I want if I hurt you." She gave him a small nod of her head and headed to the door.

As Anacaona left the cell, Joe had to admit that she had a very nice smile. However, he still felt a bit uneasy. Hopefully, she didn't try to poison his food for not being much help on finding Femi. But he remembered that she chased away Mad Jack from hurting him and his friends. That translated to an unspoken "IOU". He really DIDN'T have a say in this, like she said before.

He owed her a favor and Anacaona was not wasting time on what he would have to do for her. The only thing he had to worry was what she was going to do next.


	8. Back at the Ryokan

**Chapter 8: Back at the Ryokan**

Anacaona rushed to the _ryokan_ before heading into town to get food. As she entered the building, she greeted Miho and her husband. The couples were busy entertaining each other and Saori had brought out her _shamisen_. Saori saw Anacaona in her cloak, and shrank back in fear.

"Saori, is everything alright?" Miho turned to her daughter, noticing her odd behavior.

Saori looked back at Anacaona, who paid her no attention. "Yes, I'm fine."

Miho frowned slightly, but went back to chit-chatting with her guests. Anacaona mumbled curses under her breath while slinking away from the gathering. She wasn't expecting Miho to be entertaining guests so late, but then again, the family ran a _ryokan_ and people stumble in at odd hours in the night. She entered her room and quickly went to where she hid her money. She took a reasonable amount before closing the box and placing it back under the floorboards.

There was a knock at the door.

"It's open!" She called out before getting on her feet.

"Anacaona?" It was Miho. "Dinner's almost ready; would you like to join us?"

"I'm afraid I can't tonight." Anacaona replied. "I'm working late into the night. But I'll be back in a few hours."

"That's fine, Anacaona." she could hear the smile in her voice. "I just came to give you this." She took out a small bottle from her blouse and put it in Anacaona's hands.

"What is it; it smells like lavender..."

"It's lavender oil. My friends say it's a great way to keep your skin soft and smooth. And it can help the skin heal from scars..."

Anacaona set it down. "It's a nice idea, but I don't think it'll do much."

"You'll never know if you don't try."

"I tried once," Anacaona's voice tightened. "I'm not trying anymore."

"But your body's filled with scars!" Miho exclaimed as Anacaona changed. "What about those you got a week ago?"

As she was getting everything ready at the fortress, Anacaona packed up and was ready to call it a day. Yet, something was off and she didn't know what. That's when she saw someone else's aura wandering outside the walls. In her haste, she decided to scare them off. However, she underestimated her opponent. She decided to use her illusions before delivering an unconscious blow, but during the middle of it, the person lashed out and she broke concentration.

When she clenched her fists, her right hand felt damp. Then she felt another sharp pain and smelled blood. Her opponent used razor sharp thin wires, and Anacaona was instantly tied up. When she moved, the wire painfully sliced into her skin. She finally managed to escape by using her eyes to put her opponent in a trance and have them walk over a cliff before limping back to Miho's ryokan.

"I'm so sorry about that..."

And she was. She underestimated her opponent and payed the price. She felt bad for Miho; seeing her soaked in blood, hissing in pain and her body swaying from blood loss. Hearing the panic in Miho's voice, yelling at Saori to fetch a doctor and then refusing to let Anacaona leave the bed until she got better. She spent her day with Saori as company, annoying her as usual, and Miho taking care of her.

"Anacaona, would you let yourself go like that if Joji was here?"

Anacaona faced her with a look of rage and shock. "I know you didn't say that!"

"I mean…" Miho bit her tongue. "...he wouldn't want you like this."

"Miho, I'm thankful you were able to let me live here." Anacaona took a step forward and Miho suddenly took a step back. "I'm thankful you kept my presence a secret from everyone else, because I don't need everyone else coming back after what happened!"

"But running away from the past doesn't help either, Anacaona!"

"Femi runs away, I don't!" Anacaona roared and slammed her fists onto her desk. The whole room trembled and Miho tried her hardest to stay put. "I - I never run away. That's why I left, to go after her!"

Miho realized with dread she hit a nerve and Anacaona did not react well.

"Anacaona… I'm… I'm sorry."

The green-haired girl composed herself, but didn't look at Miho. "Don't ever bring up Joji anymore. He's gone and he's never coming back."

Miho silently nodded. "Please be safe."

"I'll be here in the morning."

Miho stepped aside to let Anacaona leave and felt guilty over what happened. She should've known better than to bring up Joji to Anacaona. She loved Joji and he was crazy about her; it was clear as day the two were young and very much in love.

Miho was a family friend of Joji's aunt. She didn't directly speak to Joji, but she knew him as a kind and respectful young man. He was always busy in the gardens of his father's tea farm, dirty and checking how the leaves grew. Anacaona was the one he'd take to dances or have by his side while eating. There was always tenderness in his eyes when he looked at the green-haired girl.

Anacaona was just a skinny girl when they found her. Illiterate, suspicious of those around her. But not suspicious of Joji. Like a gardener tending to the environment of his plants so they could blossom, Joji helped her because he thought anyone can change for the better.

Fate was a cruel mistress. Who knew that Joji's good intentions would lead to his disappearance and Anacaona's ruin?

* * *

 **A/N: I'll try to have Chapter 9 out soon, but time is limited. Oh well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


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